| Number | Item |
| | Minutes for this Meeting  |
| | Agenda Front Page |
| | Agenda Papers |
| 1. | Apologies/Substitutes |
| 2. | Declarations of Interest |
| 3. | Minutes – To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of this Committee held on the 16th June 2016 |
| 4. | Part I – For Decision |
| | This report provides an update on the work of the Fraud team within the Finance Department. For the first time the scope of the report has been extended to cover an element of the work conducted by the Recovery team within the same department which complements the fraud work and also seeks to ensure monies are recovered as appropriate. The year for the Fraud Team started with minimal staffing entering a period of transition with the migration of benefit fraud to the Single Fraud Investigation Service however has ended with increased resources with a view to moving forward and providing the authority with a corporate resource. |
| | Fraud Investigations and Debt Recovery Annual Report 2015/16 |
| 5. | The report gives the 2015/16 Head of Audit Opinion on the Council’s internal control governance and risk management with supporting work completed during the year. |
| | Internal Audit Annual Report and Opinion 2015/16 |
| 6. | The 2015/16 annual report of the Audit Committee in discharging the responsibilities set out in the Council’s constitution. |
| | Audit Committee Annual Report 2015/16 |
| 7. | Each year the Council must produce and approve an Annual Governance Statement (AGS). AGS are designed to summarise for members residents and external stakeholders the Council’s approach to governance and show how the Council fulfils the principles for good corporate governance in the public sector. The AGS needs to draw conclusions based on evidence throughout the past year about the effectiveness of the Council’s arrangements.The AGS must be published alongside the Council’s formal audited financial statements though need not be agreed at the same time. The full financial statement and the auditor’s findings and proposed opinion will be considered by the committee in September. It is after that when the AGS is published along with the accounts.This year’s AGS builds on previous statements providing updated information where needed.Our governance arrangements are well-developed and pervade all that we do in a variety of forms but they also evolve. Their various components are subject to ongoing development with principal developments summarised in the AGS.In conclusion governance arrangements remain appropriate effective and adaptive to change as circumstances dictate. |
| | Annual Governance Statement 2015/16 |
| 8. | In April CIPFA/SOLACE published an updated ‘Delivering Good Governance in Local Government’ framework 2016 which sets the standard for local authority governance. Accordingly it is good practice for the Council to adopt its own compliant local Code of Corporate Governance based upon the national framework. This local Code will apply to Annual Governance Statements prepared for the financial year 2016/17 onwards.This report summarises the new CIPFA/SOLACE Code presenting the framework in the context of Ashford Borough Council’s governance arrangements. |
| | Local Code of Corporate Governance (2016) |
| 9. | Each year in support of the external audit of the council's financial statements it is necessary to provide two assurance letters to the auditors. These are important statements on which the auditors rely for their opinion work. The two completed letters are attached. • One is from the chairman on behalf of the committee. • The second is from the Head of Finance on behalf of management. They cover similar points to assurance letters in the past and have already been shared in draft with our auditor’s. They cover assurances relating to such matters as disclosures of material facts affecting the statements fraud contingent liabilities and legal issues affecting the statements |
| | 2015/16 Financial Statements – Letters of Assurance to the External Auditors |
| 10. | The Audit Committee requested that officers bring forward a report that showed how performance was managed through the annual appraisal process.This report shows the journey we have been through since 2015 when introducing a new appraisal system as well as our next steps in making sure there is a good quality of appraisal for managers and staff. |
| | Annual Staff Appraisal Process |
| 11. | Part II – Monitoring/Information Items |
| | The attached report from our external auditors is to update the committee on their progress against the audit plan. Overall progress is good and we continue to maintain the good working relationship we have with Grant Thornton. As part of the report the Auditor has highlighted two reports that they have published the first on the use of Joint Venture companies and the second on review of the effectiveness of Audit committees. The Council has no Joint Venture Companies but may consider these as a suitable vehicle to deliver services or investment in the borough and therefore the paper has less direct reference to the Councils activities but this should be held on file should a Joint Venture be considered later. The Second Paper on the effectiveness of Audit Committees and the committee may wish to consider this paper as a separate item for future meetings.The report also refers to a report by CIPFA about Fighting Fraud and Corruption. Members may wish to consider this in light of the report elsewhere on the agenda updating them on the progress that the Fraud Team has made over the last year. |
| | External Audit Update Report |
| 12. | Attached to this cover is copy of the Audit Fee Letter 2016/17 this outlines the proposed fee from our External Auditor. The scale of these fees is set by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) and the scope of the Audit is determined by the National Audit Office (NAO). The fee is in line with the budget and reflects the reduction that was secured when the Audit contracts were last tendered.The Letter also includes an outline audit timetable. |
| | External Audit Fee Letter 2016/17 |
| 13. | Report Tracker and Future Meetings |